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In reply to the discussion: Why Does Trump Want Greenland? [View all]vanessa_ca
(118 posts)The neoconservative Hudson Institute has been pushing for this. They warned last year that 'NATO is not prepared for possible Russian aggression in the Arctic, noting that Moscows nuclear submarines could travel under the ice along the coast of eastern Greenland without being detected'. Trump and his cohorts also don't want China getting a foothold in the Arctic, since Russia has been working with it. Foreign Policy hawks want Pituffik beefed, totally under the control of the US, and in no way hindered by the 1951 defense agreement with Denmark. They also want to base the US Second Fleet there.
FP published a Hudson Institute's article about that last year https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/04/01/nato-russia-arctic-steadfast-defender-2024/
"Whoever holds Greenland will hold the Arctic. It's the most important strategic location in the Arctic and perhaps the world".
Walter Berbrick, U.S. Naval War College (https://www.politico.com/story/2019/08/24/trump-buy-greenland-1474349)
The idea isn't new. It was proposed under the Truman admin in the 40s.
''The committee indicated that money is plentiful now, that Greenland is completely worthless to Denmark (and) that the control of Greenland is indispensable to the safety of the United States,' Hickerson said in a memo.
-snip-
He said purchase of Greenland would give the United States ''valuable bases from which to launch an air counteroffensive over the Arctic area in the event of attack.'
On June 20, 1946, Secretary of War Robert Patterson weighed in, writing to Undersecretary of State Dean Acheson that ''it might be a good idea to take prompt action toward securing from Denmark (even to the extent of purchasing the entire island, if necessary) the military rights which have been outlined by the Joint Chiefs of Staff.'
https://apnews.com/article/9d4a8021c3650800fdf6dd5903f68972
I just noticed the poster CatWoman posted about the same thing here https://www.democraticunderground.com/100219882643#post10
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